General Background
Since 1991, Russia has attended consultative meetings at the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (AMM)/Post Ministerial Meeting (PMC). At the 26th AMM in 1993, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia expressed his country's desire to institutionalise relations with ASEAN. Consequently, Russia was invited to be a member of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) when it was established in 1994 in recognition of its strategic importance as a regional player. In April 1995, Russia hosted an ARF Track-II Seminar on the principles of security and stability in the Asia Pacific in Moscow as one of its contribution to the peace and prosperity of the region. Russia was elevated to the status of a full Dialogue Partner of ASEAN in July 1997 at the 29th AMM in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Institutional Framework
Russia participates in a series of consultative meetings with ASEAN which includes the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), Post Ministerial Meeting (PMC) 9+1 and 9+10, ASEAN-Russia and the Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) Meeting. The ASEAN-Moscow Committee also assist in conducting and maintaining the dialogue with Russia. The meetings offer the opportunity for Russia and ASEAN to review contemporary political, security, economic and development cooperation issues affecting the two sides.
At the apex of the dialogue process is Russia's participation in the PMC process immediately following the AMM. The PMC 9+1 and 9+10 meetings offer an opportunity for the ASEAN and the Russian Foreign Ministers to review contemporary political, security, economic and development cooperation issues affecting the dialogue relationship. Russia also participates in the ARF which takes stock of key political and security issues concerning East Asia.
In January 1997, ASEAN and Russia adopted the Rules of Procedures for the ASEAN-Russia Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC). The inaugural JCC meeting was held from 5-6 June 1997 in Moscow. The JCC agreed that four institutions would constitute the structure of the ASEAN-Russia Dialogue, namely, the ASEAN-Russia Joint Cooperation Committee; the ASEAN-Russia Joint Management Committee of the ASEAN-Russia Cooperation Fund; the ASEAN-Russia Business Council and the ASEAN Committee in Moscow.
In August 1996, Russia expressed its intention to establish private sector links through the ASEAN-Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ASEAN-CCI). The establishment of a joint Business Council is now under consideration by the ASEAN Chambers of Commerce and Industry. Representatives of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation attended the First ASEAN Business Summit held in March 1997 in Jakarta.
Economic Cooperation
Between 1994 and 1996, ASEAN-Russia's two-way trade increased by 222% from US$ 1.6 billion to US$ 5.2 billion and presently over 50 joint ventures between ASEAN and Russia have been undertaken.
Development Cooperation
The JCC has agreed on six areas of cooperation, namely, trade and investment; science and technology, environment, tourism, human resource development, and people-to-people interaction.
An ASEAN-Russia Working Group on Science and Technology has also been established. The Working Group held its first meeting in Moscow from 9-10 June 1997and identified initial priority areas of cooperation in the field of science and technology including biotechnology, new materials, information technology, microelectronics, meteorology and geophysics. In addition, Russia has proposed to undertake cooperation projects using Russian technology and equipment for carrying out aerospace zoning of the Earth's surface, monitoring of volcanic and seismological activity, warnings of typhoons and other emergency situations, cargo airlifting and transcontinental railway development.
Current ASEAN-Russia Relationship
An ASEAN-Russia Working Group on Trade and Economic Cooperation (ARWGTEC) was convened in September 2002 in Moscow to facilitate business contacts, information exchange on regulations of external trade and investment regimes, and to provide a forum for interaction in moving forward ASEAN-Russia partnership on trade and economic cooperation.
The Third Meeting of the ASEAN-Russia Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) was held in September 2002. Both sides agreed to inject a new momentum into the cooperation by looking at the possibility of signing a cooperation agreement to ensure the commitment of resources as well as to move collaborations in trade and economic, science and technology, education, transport and combating transnational crime, in particular terrorism. Russia agreed to support ASEAN activities in regional integration.
ASEAN and Russia have agreed to sign the “Joint Declaration of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Russia and Member States of ASEAN on Partnership for Peace, Stability and Security in the Asia-Pacific Region” at the ASEAN Post-Ministerial Conference with Russia in June 2003 in Phnom Penh. The proposed “ASEAN-Russia Agreement on Economic Cooperation” is under consideration.
